By Walter Kish

In its current efforts to rebuild from the disastrous effects of some 70 years of Communism, Ukraine has no shortage of challenges. The basic infrastructure of the country is in bad shape, and combined with a political system populated mostly by individuals more interested in their own personal welfare than the well-being of the country and its citizens, the living conditions for the majority of Ukrainians are grim. Although there have been signs in the past year that Ukraine’s economy has finally bottomed out and is now beginning to slowly recover, most Ukrainians, particularly in the rural areas, are still struggling with basic survival. It has been estimated that something like 45% of the population lives below the poverty line and about a third are unemployed. It should come as no surprise that the expected social fallout in the form of crime, depression, alcoholism and suicide is on the increase.

Alcoholism in particular is quite rampant, especially among the male population. Although official statistics are hard to come by, most of the social agencies and groups studying or dealing with the problem will tell you that well over a third of the men in Ukraine have a serious problem with alcoholism. My own recent trip to Ukraine tended to confirm this on a personal level. What was particularly painful to observe was that the trend was moving quickly down the demographic scale into the teenage range. In the villages, especially where the collective farms have been dismantled and there are no jobs to be had, young men are increasingly turning to alcohol to deal with boredom and loss of hope. In the smaller towns and villages, there is little money, either private or governmental, to be had for sports, cultural or social programs of any kind. In contrast, alcohol is cheap, easy to obtain and provides an easy escape.

What appeared curious to me was that I found very few instances of alcohol abuse among the women in Ukraine. If anything, their lives are even more difficult and trying than those of the men. I addition to all the same financial and job pressures, they have the additional burdens of child-rearing and being primary caregivers to often large extended families. Cooking, cleaning, laundry and tending to domestic livestock are almost exclusively women’s work. Many do this on top of regular jobs. In spite of the additional workloads, demands and stress, they do not seem to succumb to the escapist temptations of drink.

My questions to them as to why this was so brought little enlightenment other than the stoic replies that it was ever thus and that throughout history it was always the women who were the stronger ones, uncomplainingly bearing the burdens of day-to-day life. But of course, there is much more to this than simple homilies and clich?s. There are a number of important factors in the nature of the roles women play in life as well as their spiritual and psychological makeup, that make them better able to cope with life’s trials and tribulations without succumbing to such escapist vices as alcoholism.

For better or worse, since the dawn of history, a man’s primary role in life has been as provider and protector for his family. When a man is faced with the situation typical in Ukraine today of having no practical way of doing either, he loses his essential purpose in life and the self-esteem and self-worth that goes with it. A man with no job and no material prospects has no social value. Combined with a culturally engrained macho streak that prevents Ukrainian men from sharing their pain with others or seeking psychological or spiritual help, the depression that usually ensues often leads to alcohol abuse and in some cases, suicide.

Women, on the other hand, have much more multi-dimensional roles within Ukrainian society and their social worth and self-esteem is not tied as directly to their job or employment status. They fulfill most of the parental functions, they are caregivers, housekeepers, teachers, lovers and often the spiritual and social caretakers of the family and the community. When faced with troubles and crises, women are not as reluctant to share their problems and seek help and comfort from their friends, peers and other family members. They are also usually far more religious and reliant on their faith and beliefs during difficult times. In short, women are better able to cope with crises, tragedies and troubles than the men, and are less likely to turn to alcohol, crime or suicide than the men.

Modern medical thought classifies alcoholism as a disease. That may be so, but it is a disease that is greatly exacerbated and magnified by depressing social and economic conditions, as well as an anachronistic acceptance of a narrow, limited male role within Ukrainian society. Economic progress will help, but so will a committed effort to re-examine the traditional roles of men and women in society and more liberal and less gender-oriented social structures.